Why Do People Use Social Media?
Whether you’re thinking of starting a new business or are already running one, social media should be at the forefront of your marketing strategy.
And to do it well, you not only need to know how the most popular social media platforms operate like the back of your hand, but you also need to understand the main purpose of social media. In other words, you need to know what social media platforms are being used for.
So then, what do users say is their primary reason for using social media?
Why do people use social media: top 10 reasons
|
Top uses of social media |
Percentage of internet users who name this as a reason they use social media |
|---|---|
|
Keeping in touch with friends and family |
49.7% |
|
Filling spare time |
38.0% |
|
Reading news stories |
34.3% |
|
Finding content |
30.0% |
|
Seeing what's being talked about |
28.8% |
|
Finding products to purchase |
26.8% |
|
Finding inspiration for things to do and buy |
26.4% |
|
Watching live streams |
23.1% |
|
Watching or following sports |
22.9% |
|
Making new contacts |
22.7% |
According to a recent survey, the biggest reason people use social media is to keep in touch with their friends and family. As many as 49.7% of internet users list this as one of their top uses of social media.
This is no surprise, considering that’s exactly what the purpose of social media is. From profiles and messaging and commenting opportunities to milestone events and day-to-day updates, there’s not a whole lot about an individual (and a business, for that matter) that does not ultimately end up on social media.
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The second main reason people use social media is to tackle boredom—38% of internet users say they use social media to fill their spare time. This is followed by reading news stories at 34.3%. Given that social media is visual content-heavy, making it very easy to consume, and offers infinite scrolling, its entertainment value is extremely high. In fact, analysts consider it an aggregator of news and entertainment.
The next two main uses of social media are finding content (done by 30% of internet users) and seeing what’s being talked about (28.8%).
The seventh- and eighth-most popular reasons internet users go on social media are to find products to purchase (26.8%) and to seek inspiration for things to do and buy (26.4%). As an (aspiring) ecommerce business owner, these are key statistics to pay extra attention to as they indicate a whole lot of sales opportunities and certainly highlights the benefits of social media marketing.
Watching live streams and watching or following sports also rank among the top uses of social media, with around 23% of users doing so. At 22.7%, making new contacts rounds out the top 10 uses of social media.